Pocket inhalator



Jam 3, 1961 A. E. HALPERIN 2,966,909

POCKET INHALATOR Filed Dec. 14, 1956 United States Patent POCKET INHALATOR Abraham E. Halperin, Boston, Mass., assigner to A. E. Halperin Co. Inc., Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Dec. 14, 1956, Ser. No. 628,323

1 Claim. (Cl. 12S-206) This invention relates to an inhalator of the type designed to be carried in the pocket and to employ breakable glass ampules for holding a tiuid inhalant.

A number of holders have been devised for enclosing a glass ampule lled with a liquid inhalant. The ampule may be crushed and placed in the holder when desired for use, or the holder may be equipped with a piercing device for puncturing the ampule to release the fluid inhalant. Certain of the types of ampules used are enclosed in a sleeve of woven or knitted material which prevents the user from cutting his fingers when he breaks the ampule and also acts as a Wick to a-bsorb the fluid and make the contents last longer. With many of the holders previously used for this purpose, however, it is necessary to break the ampule before inserting it. This results in a certain amount of inconvenience and delay as the holder must be first opened to remove the ampule and, after the glass is broken, the ampule may become distorted and be diicult to replace in the holder.

The object of this invention is to provide a holder which permits the ampule to be broken or crushed between the lingers without removing it from the holder. Besides the advantage of convenience, a holder of the type here disclosed is especially useful for containing stimulant inhalants, for emergency use by persons subject to fainting spells or a heart condition, as the ampule can be quickly crushed with one hand and the inhalator prepared for use in a few seconds with a minimum of effort. Another advantage is that the inhalator has no moving parts which might jam in an emergency.

In the drawings illustrating the invention:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of the inhalator;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the body part of the inhalator; and

Fig. 3 is a side view, partly broken away, of the type of `ampule employed in the inhalator.

The body part of the holder consists of a tubular casing 10 which is rounded at the left-hand end for insertion in the nostril and has a nasal tube 11 communicating with the interior of the casing. A cap 12 is mounted on the right-hand end of the casing. The glass ampule 13 covered by a cloth jacket 14 is placed inside the tubular body through the right-hand end which is then closed by the cap 12. The cap 12 has a threaded portion 15 and a shoulder 16. A cover 17 having an internally threaded portion 18 is screwed on to the cap when the holder is not in use and protects the ampule against accidental breakage. On either side of the tubular body are oval shaped openings 19 and 20 which are of a suitable size to admit the thumb and forenger. When the inhalator is to be used the cover 17 is removed and the ampule is crushed by squeezing with the fingers through the openings 19 and 20.

An inhalator of this type may be kept in the pocket with an ampule in place ready for use and may be quickly put into operation with one hand, and is furthermore made of a minimum number of simple parts so as to be inexpensive and foolproof.

What is claimed is:

In combination: an inhalator and a cloth covered breakable ampule filled with inhalant, said inhalator comprising a tubular body in which said ampule is disposed, said body having ends and sides, one end being open for insertion of the ampule, and a nasal tube being disposed on the opposite end and said body having in its sides finger access apertures elongated in the axial direction of the body.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,395,109 Fonda Feb. 19, 1946 2,517,482 Hall Aug. 1, 1950 2,672,865 Willis Mar. 23, 1954 2,681,168 McMillion June 15, 1954 2,705,007 Gerber Mar. 29, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 588,117 Great Britain May 14, 1947 143,397 Sweden Mar. 29, 1951 

